A neighbourhood blighted by pockets of discarded rubbish has been branded a “dumping ground” for fly-tippers.

Canterbury’s Hales Place - which is a university student hotspot - has fallen victim to the “never-ending” problem of people illegally disposing of unwanted waste.

Pictures taken recently show tyres, plastic chairs, trolleys and even a bed frame among piles of black bags dropped in areas targeted by the illicit dumpers.

The city council says it is taking a hardline approach to tackle the issue - but Labour chief Dave Wilson says the authority should be tougher, calling the scourge an “epidemic”.

Figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests show there have been 885 fly-tipping reports over the last year across the district, but just 48 fines have been issued.

“This is miniscule,” Cllr Wilson told KentOnline.

“If you were a fly-tipper, your chances of being caught are far too slim. I just think the response is lacklustre.”

There have been four successful prosecutions for fly-tipping, while there remain 11 open cases, one of which is awaiting sentencing.

Meanwhile, documents show the local authority spends almost £20,000 each month dealing with the problem.

Cllr Wilson argues that Kent County Council’s (KCC’s) restrictions on waste disposal make the situation worse.

Commercial waste - such as gardening or building debris - has to be taken to a specific centre, which is more expensive than a regular tip.

Cllr Wilson said: “The impact has been that anyone who’s in the black economy or doing cash-in-hand jobs or anything like that tends to just go and fly-tip their waste.

“That’s what’s led directly to an epidemic of fly-tipping across the district.”

St Stephen’s ward - which includes Hales Place - is among the worst-hit areas in the district, with 76 reported fly-tips in the last year.

One of its councillors, Terry Westgate (Ind), said: “I’ve always reported fly-tipping – but it’s never-ending.

“It’s sheer laziness a lot of the time; they can’t be bothered to deal with their rubbish.”

Fines issued to offenders are often in the hundreds of pounds, though Cllr Westgate believes they’re “a bit light sometimes”.

When asked if Hales Place is a dumping ground, Cllr Westgate said: “Yeah, it’s been ongoing for years really. Bags of rubbish also get dumped.

“They then get split open by the foxes, seagulls, and that causes more mess.”

However, authority leader Ben Fitter-Harding insists tackling the problem is a “huge priority”.

The Tory boss says the council’s commitment to crack down on illicit waste dumping is underlined by recent cases like one in 2017, when a van was crushed after it was found to have been used by fly-tippers.

“I don’t think building rubble is a big part of what gets fly-tipped,” the Conservative said.

“Wherever possible we do try to prosecute whoever has done the fly-tip.

“Where we can we get enforcement officers out to go through what has been tipped to look for evidence before Canenco go along and remove it.”

KCC officials also deny Cllr Wilson’s claims that restrictions on waste disposal have exacerbated the situation.

They maintain “there is no link between not taking commercial rubbish at our Household Waste Recycling Centres and fly-tipping levels”.

A county council spokesman added: “We monitor the amount of fly-tipping brought to us for disposal by the district councils and by this measure fly-tipping has remained at the same level since 2014.

“Fly-tipping is a crime and should be treated seriously.

“That’s why we support local authorities with funds to help investigate and tackle this menace.

“We maintain unlimited access for residents to dispose of their household waste at recycling centres, as well as offering a service for disposing of soil, rubble and hardcore for a fee.”